Let’s rewind back to the first Saturday of May, 2018. On a whim, I picked up Dark Horse Comics’
Overwatch issue. Flipping through it I skimmed and found the
“Black Hammer” back-up feature created and
written by Jeff Lemire.

I’d only briefly heard of “Black Hammer,” and still have barely an idea of what “Black
Hammer” is about. Yet imagine my surprise when I realized the story I
was reading was about the Legion of Super-Heroes!

Or rather, the Black Hammer version of the Legion!

For those who remember, Lemire used the Legion in the New 52’s Justice League Canada/United. It featured a Legion that seemed to be based off the Retroboot/New 52
iteration, but jammed with Legionnaires from the FYL and Reboot eras. The story was, to me at least, a disappointment. I already had zero interest in
JLU because Green Arrow was a member and I HATE HIM!! I’m sick of
being expected to support books with characters I loathe just to get the Legion
back.

But I digress.

Giving the FCBD issue a careful read, it became obvious Lemire intended to invoke the Legionnaires. It’s a short tale and most
of it hypes the main “Black Hammer” universe with the Quantum League as a framing device.

However, the end promised more of the Quantum
League in their own ongoing! I got excited wondering what
would happen next. Why is it I’m having more fun enjoying Lemire doing a Legion
homage than when he wrote about the actual Legion? Read on and find out.

Friday, November 16, 2018

On November 8th, I had the luck of driving just a few miles from my place of work to MIT. And there, I was able to take in the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program 2018 Julius Schwartz Memorial Lecture. Past lecturers have been Neil Gaiman and J. Michael Straczynski.

This year it was Brian Michael Bendis.

The lecture was open to the public and held in a big auditorium style class room on campus. It looked like about 100 people were in attendance.

Fellow comic professional Marjorie Liu led the discussion, interviewing Bendis and talking a lot about his history, his process, and his favorite moments.

It was really fascinating to hear Bendis talk about his childhood reading comics, his desire to be an artist, and his ultimate conversion to writer.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Superman #213 (January 1969)title: "The Most Dangerous Door in the World!"

writer: Cary Bates

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: Jack Abel

editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Carmine Infantino & Neal Adams

guest reviewer: Emsley "Ultra Fan" Wyatt

Guests:
Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and.....??

Opponents:
Lex Luthor and his generic henchmen, and....????

Editor's Note: Here is a second installment of what we call "Legion Cameos." These are stories where the Legion or certain Legionnaires play a small but usually significant role in the proceedings. This time out we have Legion of Substitute Blogger Ultra Fan telling us about a certain Superman vs. Lex Luthor story from 1968. Take it away, Emsley...!

First the cover (inks by Neal Adams).A seemingly dead Superman lies in front of a
vault to be opened only “in the event of my death.”Shut up and take my twelve cents.I thought that this was a great cover.

But I didn’t care for the title.Maybe “The Mystery of Superman’s Vault” would
have been better.But unlike Al Capone’s
vault, later made famous by Geraldo Rivera and containing only some old
bottles, this vault promises a treasure of incalculable value.

Friday, November 9, 2018

How can you be a critic when you are biased? How can you write objective looks at something when you are clearly subjective?Or is the very nature of reviews subjective?As I look back at these Retroboot Legion issues, I feel like I am so desperate to get a good Legion book that I am willing to give mediocre Legion books good grades. I love the Legion. I'll always try to see the best in the material.

But this Retroboot book isn't very good. And when it came out I gave it a B/B+ grade. I think the biggest thing for me is the inconsistent characterization. We are over a year of this book seeing Harmonia Li being all serene wisdom. So seeing her enraged and aggressive seems way off. Had it been building, I might think differently. But suddenly acting different seems off.And overall this plot of a maniacal Saturn Queen looking to destroy the 'World of Wisdom', a place we never heard of before? It just isn't clicking this reread.But what did I think then?

At the end of the last issue, the Legion appeared to be facing defeat at the hands of Morlo's Chemoids, which could shift their chemical block structure to any substance. We start this issue right where we left off last time....!

Monday, November 5, 2018

So I'm pretty sure that my Heroes Con 2017 Celebration photo using various action figures as stand-ins for all the great Podcasters and Bloggers I met there is what got me the "Articulated Lad" gig here at Legion of Super-Bloggers in the first place. Also, it probably doesn't hurt that I already owned the Matty Collector Legion of Super-Heroes Box Set.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Hey all,
I think with the posting of this review of Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 from the retroboot Legion that I am finally caught up with my reviews. While my reviews have gone all the way up to Legion of Super-Heroes #13, this annual should have been snuggled up after LSH #8. After all, this story picks up right after Ayla and Vi announce that they are heading off on vacation.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Recently it has come to our attention here in our 31st-Century corner of the world-wide-web that Mark Waid, well-known author of such classic comic book characters as Superman, Captain America, Daredevil, the Justice League, and, yes, the Legion of Super-Heroes, is being sued by a writer and comic book critic named Richard Meyer. In the lawsuit, Meyer alleges that Waid interfered with a contract Meyer had signed with independent comics publisher Antarctic Press. Meyer is suing Waid for $75,000 in financial damages and for defamation of character, as Meyer contends that Waid has described him in less-than-factual terms.

We here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers are not going to get into the merits of the lawsuit. However, it seems abundantly clear to us, a group of predominantly white men celebrating a fictional group of characters from nearly two dozen different planets that diversity is good.

In fact, the Legion of Super-Heroes is an icon of diversity. The Legion was one of the first mainstream super-hero teams to have more than just two "token" female members. Saturn Girl was one of the first female leaders in comics. From the very beginning, the Legion represented the positive aspects of diversity: we Earthlings could not only get along with each other but we could also get along with aliens, too.

Of course, we are not unaware that the Legion was created in 1958. A product of its time, the humans were all white for a very long time. But we learned that we could and did have green, orange, and blue friends, and the message was clear. The comics eventually got better and the humans more diverse. We could have Black, Asian, Latino, and LGBT friends. We saw the future, and it was good.

Mark Waid characterizes the lawsuit as an effort to try to intimidate and silence those of us who stand up publicly against bigotry and racism; against those of us who continue to defend non-white and/or non-male creators from harassment. As the plaintiff has managed to successfully arrange to publish his comic book, we tend to agree with Waid. And as for the defamation charges, if you are interested in what might have defamed him, go ahead and Google "Richard Meyer comics" and read what you find. We'll let him speak for himself.

We here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers agree that all people throughout the United Planets should be able to pursue their own happiness, away from bigotry and harassment. If you are a blue Talokian warrior woman but you want to write comics, you should be able to. Likewise, if you want to publish a story that is based on segregation or exclusion, that's your prerogative. But don't expect us to support it.

The Legion of Super-Bloggers supports diversity and equal opportunity, because that is what the Legion of Super-Heroes would do, and it's what's right.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Hey all,I am continuing my retro-reviews of the Retroboot Legion series and I am finally starting to match up the internal chronology of the book with the reviews by covering two books which technically took place before the Legion of Super-Heroes #13 issue which I covered last week. The Legion of Super-Villains Special #1, written by Paul Levitz and drawn by Francis Portela came out the same month as LSH #11, setting up the ongoing plot of Saturn Queen and her team of evil-doers out to spread chaos throughout the galaxy.We'll start with the obvious. I love Francis Portela's art. In this issue, we really get a sense of Portela's style. He gives Saturn Queen, the lead character in this issue, a certain vibe. There is a sensuality to her without veering into cheesecake or over-sexualization. There is also madness in her, conveyed wonderfully in her eyes and expressions.In retrospect the plot is a little off. It is clear that Saturn Queen is the leader of the LSV. But it is also clear that she herself is being manipulated by this Blue Flame creature. And since that being is an unknown, it feels like too much of a mystery. It also seems weird to see a group usually hell-bent on ruling and a fascistic order suddenly espousing chaos and anarchy.I also have to applaud Levitz's attempt to broaden the Legion mythos by mixing in new villains like Akka, Sun Killer, and Immortus. Anyways, head back and reread my reviews for #12 and #13 to catch up with the LSV plot. Next week I'll finish my back-up recovery by reviewing LSH Annual #1.

Synopsis:
Jimmy Olsen is called into the 30th Century in order to help write this month's issue of The Legion Bulletin. As hard as he tries, though, Jimmy can't seem to find any news worth reporting on.

Monday, October 22, 2018

By Siskoid and Russell
Continuing our comparison of the covers to the Baxter version of the Legion (volume 3) and their reprints approximately one year later in Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The stories were exactly the same, but each issue had a brand new cover. So we go back to the age-old question: Who drew the better cover?

Friday, October 19, 2018

The stereotypical Legion fan is someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of that gleaming future and the team. They are usually well-read, even of older books. And they know their stuff. It is a double edged sword.For example, if you set up a LSH vs. LSV storyline, the standard Legion fan will have at their mental finger-tips the past LSV arcs. In particular, I think the initial Baxter series opening arc would be the primary comparison. And that arc is both important and beloved. So you better be ready for people to hold those arcs next to each other.All that is my way of saying that the Saturn Queen, blue flame entity, LSV arc running through this retroboot Legion title is going to suffer when compared to the Baxter arc. It doesn't help that both portend and end with a dead Legionnaire, making them similar enough to really contrast. That Baxter arc had all the classic Legion villains squaring off against the team. This LSV has people named Atta and Immortus. There isn't enough gravitas and history to make it seem memorable. And the underlying plot of Worlds of Wisdom and blue baby beings is too insubstantial, at least in the middle chapter of LSH #13, to grab me.

On the positive side, I do like how the Legionnaires interact with each other in the crisis, fighting well as teammates.And yes, I know I am presenting a middle chapter first. I promise, the LSV Special review will happen soon. On to the book.

Friday, October 12, 2018

Welcome again to the retro-review of the Retroboot Legion of Super-Heroes title.Today I look at (and look back) at Legion of Super-Heroes #12, written by Paul Levitz with art by Yildiray Cinar. Looking back at my review, I find the grade of B/B+ a little inflated. There is nothing like an LSH/ LSV war to get the blood pumping, but this villainous team headed by Saturn Queen isn't exactly big enough to make me quiver. I also find this take on Saturn Queen, suddenly a murderous sadist, to be a bit off-putting. Yes, she is scary. But it seems so over the top that it takes me a little out of the story. And then, of course, when those murderous tendencies vanish when she is facing characters that 'matter', it is even more strange.There are some high points. The battle against Lightning Lord, with Phantom Girl and Lightning Lass doing some serious lifting, is definitely worth the price of admission. And the Star Boy scene is a nice catalog of Legion reboots in a way.But truly not much happened here. And after reading this it made me realize that the Durlan conspiracy story truly wrapped up too soon. On to the old review.

PREVIOUSLY: A rampaging Brainiac drone in Metropolis catches Superman's attention, but the drone turns out to be controlled by none other than Brainiac 5. A blast from the robot brings forth long buried memories and Superman recalls his first time meeting the Legion of Super-Heroes when Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad traveled to 20th Century Smallville. It's been a long time since Superman saw the Legion, and now they need his help, because as Superman discovers, someone's messed 31st Century Earth up, starting with the fact that Earth's sun is red and the Legionnaires are fugitives.

I'll be picking up where the previous reviewer left off and attempt to finish recapping "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes." As always there will be my hate/love/hate with Geoff Johns and what he did to the Legionnaires when he brought them back. I look back on how much I loved everything about this story. I can't believe I was so young, so naive, so stupid.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Hey folks, Anj here.At some point over on my Supergirl blog, I began reviewing this run of Legion of Super-Heroes. So much like I did with the New 52 Legion and the New 52 Legion Lost books, I will be doing retro-reviews of the Retroboot book. What I mean by this is I will post my review from 2011 here. And then after, I will post what my current thoughts are after a re-read.What strikes me immediately about this old review of Legion of Super-Heroes #11 is that I am far more forgiving of this book. When I re-read the issue, my enthusiasm was tepid. And yet in the first like of the older review I am glad the book is 'firing on all cylinders'. Different times and different hopes for an LSH book make these retro-reviews interesting time capsules. Let's see what 2011 Anj thought!

Legion of Super-Heroes #11 came out last week and picked up right where the Legion of Super-Villains One Shot ended. I have to say that I think this title is finally clicking on all cylinders. This just feels like the Legion I want to be reading. And as a long time Legion fan who has picked up some of the reboots and ignored others, I am happy to be enjoying the Legion again.

Of course, one the beauties of the Legion is the deep continuity of the characters and the series. In fact, in some ways I think that continuity might be a double edged sword. For old-timers like me, the history and legend of the Legion is really one of the draws. I think many long-time Legion fans pride themselves on a deep understanding of Legion lore. But that same deep history might make it difficult for a brand new reader to pick up the book. But if you reboot and lose that history, you probably will lose the core foundation of the Legion fanbase. It can't be easy for the folks at DC to figure out what to do.

In this issue, for example, there is great characterization throughout, as events hearken back to some personal moments in the Legionnaires lives. Writer Paul Levitz knows that adding that depth to the characters is what makes this book so special. And I know exactly what he's talking about. But do new readers? Does it frustrate them?

Monday, October 1, 2018

Alone...He wants to be alone so he can process thisTo a point of understandingnessStarboy!That’s who he is that’s not who he ain’tStarboy! He knows it now and now it's the truth...The Captain of Outer Space that is his brother, Uh-huh!The Captain of Outer Space he knows it’s true, Uh-huh!Alone...He wants to be Alone...

Friday, September 28, 2018

Before I begin my review of Retroboot Legion of Super-Heroes #10, an apology.

It has become clear to me that this review series, from a total experience and a chronological order, is going to forever be muddled. While this series was going on, the Legion was also headlining in a run of Adventure Comics. And while the tales there concentrated mostly on Legion Academy kids, there was some cross-pollination. Thus, the 'blue creature attacking Wildfire and Dawnstar', a plot which has impacted this run, took place there.

Let's add a bit more muddled timeline to this blog. Technically, the Retroboot Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 took place between issues #9 and #10. And, even worse, the Legion of Super-Villains Special #1 takes place between this issue and #11. But to keep things on track and to keep the social media publicity going, the reviews through the thirteenth issue have been pre-posted.

It is too late to go back. So the plan will be to cover the Annual and the LSV Special after LSH #13. And maybe the Adventure Comics run will be covered here eventually.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Legion of Super-Heroes #9 showcases both the flaws and the strengths of this particular run.

The strengths should be well known to LSH fans. We have Paul Levitz leaning into Legion history. We have a hint at a long time foe behind the Durlan uprising. We have some nice character moments showing us how certain Legionnaires view the world. That is all great.

We also have the gas pedal on the Durlan conspiracy story-line, pushing through pretty rapidly with almost no pages spent on other simmering plotlines. What about Harmonia Li? Earth Man and Shadow Lass? Vi and Ayla? (Their story was in the annual; something I need to review, I know.) What about the Ranzz family? Usually a page or two is devoted to peeking in on others. I didn't realize just how much I missed those diversions until it happened here.

And while the Durlan conspiracy is a good plot I just think it would have worked better as a slow burn. Have the readers wonder who has been replaced; build up tension in the team. Wouldn't Vi, who had been replaced by a Durlan, be particularly upset by this?

The art is by Yildiray Cinar and he does a fine job of it. I just feel he lacks some imagination in what Durlans would shapeshift into. We get Earth animals and dragons. That's about it.

We're at the halfway point of this volume and I think the best is behind us.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Legion of Super-Heroes #8 continues the 'faster than usual' pace for the title. And that is something that I think is giving me pause.

For those reading these reviews, you know that my memory of the Retroboot has been less than stellar. And yet, on these review rereads, I have been enjoying the title more than I anticipated. I have been wondering when it would turn the corner. My recollection couldn't be that off, could it?

Well, in the last few issues, writer Paul Levitz has been rushing through plots and as a result I haven't been getting that full experience. The 'cult of Darkseid' plot where the Ranzz twins were kidnapped was wrapped up in one issue. Earth Man becoming more sympathetic of other races happened very quickly. Shadow Lass falling for Earth Man happened in a panel. For those who read Levitz in the '80s, his style was much more to keep things simmering. Here we go from still waters to boil.

In this issue, we see that a Durlan conspiracy to infiltrate the UP and honor RJ Brande which could have been played out over years is suddenly revealed and out in the open. Compare that to something like 'The Universo Project' where we got our first hint of it in the Baxter series #10, had mysteries sprinkled through, to ultimately reveal it in #32. That's nearly 2 years!

Art is by Yildiray Cinar and once again he does a great job. Much of this issue is Legionnaires fighting Durlans and Cinar shines in those sequences.

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About The Super Bloggers

Three naive and innocent travelers of the world-wide-web were minding their own business when super-star industrialist the Irredeemable Shag called out to them in his super-hypnotic voice with a mission! And thus Bilingual Boy, Metropolis Kid, and Kord Kid answered the call and thus The Legion of Super-Bloggers was born! (And it was good!)

As soon as we incorporated, we reached out for more super-aliens to fill our ranks. We asked Siskoid Five,The Duo Davids,and Dr. Anjto join so we would have a true Legion-on-Legion... because, ya know, it takes a Legion to write about the Future!

Banded together from the farthest reaches of the galaxy (or atleast the internet), we have vowed since Autumn 2014 to celebrate one of the greatest super-hero franchises in the history of comics!

And just like the "real" Legion, we have had some membership changes along the way. We have added new members. Others have taken on reserve status. Some have traveled to Marzal. And yes, some members have even passed on (but not in the line of duty!) Newer members have included Legionnaire Lad,Myk-El, Continuity Kid,Shotgun, Sarcasm Kid, Nostalgic Kid,Articulated Lad, Ultra Fan, and Anachronistic Kid! Heroes All!!

So if you are new to this time-period and these outer worlds, sit back and enjoy meeting these great characters and concepts for the first time.

If you are already a Legion fan, join in the conversations about which version is best, and why!

We hope to have something for everybody, as we reminisce about the various futures we can all look forward to!

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